Lately, I’ve been exploring this idea of keeping a series of thoughts or images that I can’t seem to shake documented in a comic-like format. I wouldn’t say that I’m some kind of expert on comics but I have become more and more fascinated with the layouts of them as I continue to follow more grpahic novel type artists. It feels a bit intimidating when approaching this style of work since it is unfamiliar to me but I’m hoping that these small inner thought pieces could be a start to eventually putting my own stories together. I’ve played around with the idea of zines and starting small but the more I see Andy’s (@andrew.kozlowski) work the more inspired I feel to create my own. He has this cool way of composing his stories that feel thoughtful and transparent that it just feels like it’s a part of who he is. On the pieces that I especially love from Andy is his series Sketchbook as Textbook which talks about sketchbooks and how do we use them as creatives/what is our relationship with them. The way he explores the use of sketchbooks and how his words just make sense is something that I admire most. Below is just a screenshot of one of his pages but I highly recommend that you purchase the book to read more. It is so worth it AND he creates them using a riso printer!
Another artist that I admire is Fran Meneses (@frannerd ) who is a Brooklyn based graphic novelist currently working on their graphic novel which I am so excited for. The sense of calm that I get from looking at their illustrations is inspiring. Fran has this way of loosely drawing the things that they see and their sketchbooks are absolutely delicious. I think if I were to sit down and share a meal with a current artist they would be one of many that I would want to chat with (whether it’s about books or illustrating novels or talking about cats). For awhile I have followed their journey as an independent artist and how they faced various challenges in their life while juggling a career and a personal life. Their sketchbook pages are playful and experimental with the various techniques/tools that they use to get various textures and details. If I had to steal like an artist, I would take the sense of variety Fran envokes within their work to show depth not only in their characters but also in the settings and environments they build.
I want to cultivate something that authentically feels like my own and I think this new exploration will bring me one step closer to that. Here are a few that I’ve done so far as I continue to push through these thoughts and get my ideas out of the planning stage of my mind.
